I’ve never really been a Fatal Fury fan. It was always in the conversation—usually mentioned alongside Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. But while those were my go-to fighting games, Fatal Fury stayed in the background. I’d recognize Terry Bogard’s hat and catch clips of Mark of the Wolves, but I never really dove in. That changed with Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves.
I came in curious but cautious. Fighting games have gotten more complex, and jumping into a long-dormant series can feel like crashing a party where everyone already knows the dance steps. About an hour in, though, I was trading blows with Rock Howard, juggling meters I didn’t fully understand, and landing a REV Blow that turned a match around. That was the moment it clicked—City of the Wolves isn’t just about fast hands. It’s about reading the situation, picking your moment, and adapting under pressure.
This isn’t a reboot trying to chase trends. It feels like SNK made the game they wanted to make, and if you’re willing to meet it halfway, it rewards you. Whether you’re a longtime fan or someone like me—familiar with the series but never fully invested—there’s a lot here worth digging into. It throws a lot at you, but it keeps things interesting the whole way through.
South Town Has Stories to Tell
Fighting games don’t usually keep me around for the story. I’ve played enough arcade ladders to know the drill—win a few matches, get a vague ending, and move on. City of the Wolves does offer that through its Arcade Mode, complete with stylish stills and voiceovers, but it’s the Episodes of South Town mode that surprised me most.
On paper, it’s a character-focused story mode with light RPG elements. You move around a map, pick fights, gain experience, and unlock short scenes. It’s not the most dynamic setup—it’s basically just choosing battles—but I found myself pulled in anyway. I picked Rock Howard to start, mostly because I was already getting used to him in regular matches. What caught me off guard was how personal his story felt. It wasn’t just about beating opponents—it was about trying to live up to his legacy, while also stepping out of it. You get little moments that hint at guilt, ambition, and frustration. It wasn’t deep enough to be dramatic, but it made him feel more than just a face on the roster.
That’s true of other characters too. Some paths are lighthearted, others more serious, but they give the world some personality. Not every scene lands, and the filler fights can drag if you’re underleveled, but there’s value in seeing characters interact and grow. It feels like SNK wanted to give these fighters a bit of room to breathe, even if the format is a little rough around the edges.
Fighting With Purpose
If you’ve played modern fighters like Street Fighter 6 or Guilty Gear Strive, you’ll recognize some of what City of the Wolves is aiming for. It wants every moment to matter—every counter, combo, or cancelled move. And for the most part, it pulls that off.
The biggest standout is the REV system. It isn’t just one mechanic—it’s a collection of tools that change how you approach both offense and defense. You’ve got REV Blows that can power through hits, REV Arts that upgrade your specials, and even REV Accels that string things together. It took me a while to figure out when to use them. Early on, I kept overheating my meter from panic-spamming REV Blows and losing all access to the system mid-match. Once I slowed down and treated it like a rhythm—build pressure, create space, then strike—it started to click.
Defensively, the game doesn’t make it easy on you, but it gives you options. Just Defense and Hyper Defense reward precise timing, and REV Guard can stop chip damage if you use it right. My favourite moment was surviving on a sliver of health, pulling off a Just Defense into a REV Guard, and then sneaking in a counterattack that actually won the round. It felt earned.
Even if you’re new, there’s a Smart Style control scheme that helps with inputs. It’s not perfect—you lose access to some mechanics—but it makes learning the game less overwhelming. There’s also a solid training mode and character-specific combo challenges that helped me test out different styles without getting stomped online right away.
Flashy Fights With a Sharp Style
City of the Wolves doesn’t go for realism. It goes for attitude—and that works in its favour. The cel-shaded visuals give the game a comic-book edge that fits perfectly with the over-the-top action. Character designs are bold without feeling messy, and you can actually pick out small details in their movements that reflect their fighting style. Watching Preecha’s knees bounce between strikes or seeing Marco charge forward like a wrecking ball gives each match a little personality beyond the hits.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much I’d enjoy the little cutscenes between fights in Arcade Mode. They’re done in a panel-by-panel format, with solid voiceover and stylized art that fits the game’s tone. They don’t last long, but they help give the characters more of a voice—especially if you’re learning who’s who for the first time.
Stages are sharp, even if they’re not all equally memorable. Some backgrounds have great animation—like one rooftop stage with flashing signs and sparks flying during heavy attacks. Others feel a bit flatter. I also noticed there’s only one multi-lane stage right now, and while the idea is cool, I didn’t feel like it changed how I approached the fight much.
On the audio side, the music’s full of energy, with a mix of modern tracks and callbacks to older games. You can even build playlists in the jukebox if you want to hear your favourites more often. And the sound effects? Clean and punchy. You know exactly when a hit lands.
Trading Blows Online
Online play in City of the Wolves is smooth when it works—but getting to that point wasn’t always consistent. During my first weekend online, I had a mix of solid matches and awkward disconnects. Most of the issues cleared up after a few days, and once I got into a groove, the rollback netcode held up well, even in crossplay matches.
The game offers all the essentials—Casual, Ranked, and Room Matches. Ranked got serious pretty quickly. Casual was where I spent most of my time. It’s easier to jump in, try out new characters, and not stress too much about your record. I had one match where I was on the ropes as Hotaru, just trying to learn her timing, and ended up turning the fight around with a REV Accel chain I barely pulled off. I still lost the set, but it gave me the confidence to keep going.
Room Matches are also solid. You can spectate, set up best-of rules, or create training areas to warm up while waiting. And the Clone Mode is a neat touch—letting you fight AI versions of other players based on their data. It’s not something I used a lot, but it’s a clever way to prepare without jumping right into a live match.
Overall, the online experience feels built for longevity—as long as SNK keeps supporting it.
City of the Wolves Finds Its Voice
Going into Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew the franchise’s reputation, but this was my first time really sitting down with one of its games. What I found was a fighter that isn’t afraid to go all in on its own identity. It doesn’t try to copy the competition—it builds off SNK’s legacy while adapting just enough to feel current.
The gameplay is sharp once you wrap your head around the systems. It took me a while to find my rhythm with the REV meter and S.P.G., but once things clicked, the fights became less about button mashing and more about making smart calls under pressure. Every tool you have—offensive or defensive—feels like it has a purpose.
That said, not everything landed. Episodes of South Town adds flavour and world-building, but the filler fights started to wear thin after a while. Some stages felt more like window dressing than actual battlegrounds. And while the online side is solid now, the early hiccups were hard to ignore.
Still, City of the Wolves pulled me in. I kept coming back—not just to win, but to learn. It rewards effort and doesn’t hand you easy victories. And for a newcomer to this series, that challenge felt earned. If you’re looking for a fighting game that gives you room to grow without overwhelming you out of the gate, City of the Wolves is worth stepping into.
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
Summary
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves mixes legacy and modern design into a fighter that’s stylish, technical, and rewarding. The REV and S.P.G. systems offer smart risk-reward tools that open up strategic choices. Episodes of South Town adds some character depth, though the mode drags at times. A few rough edges aside, SNK’s return delivers a solid experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike.
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